Clinton says White House life good for marriage

Clinton says White House life good for marriage
REUTERS

WASHINGTON, MAY 12: Despite the Monica Lewinsky scandal, President Bill Clinton said on Thursday that life in the White House has been good for his marriage to Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"Oh, I think it's been good for ours, because I got to live above the store," Clinton said in a radio interview.

Until Hillary began her campaign for a Senate seat representing New York, "we actually had more time together than we did previously", said Clinton.

Clinton's comments reflected his ongoing attempt to put behind him an affair with former White House intern, which almost cost him the presidency, and emphasise his effort to repair the frayed bonds of his marriage.

The Clintons have been married for more than 24 years. Aides say he has worked hard to patch things up but admit the damage was deep and it is impossible to tell if all is really well again.

With Hillary running for a Senate seat, her marriage is holding together just as that of her possible Republican opponent, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, is falling apart. Giuliani announced plans on Wednesday for a legal separation from his wife of 16 years, Donna Hanover.

"This is really quite a wonderful place to live," Clinton said in an interview with WAMU radio's Diane Rehm and distributed by National Public Radio. It was taped on Wednesday and broadcasted on Thursday.

He said he and his wife spend "a lot of happy days" reading and talking out by the swimming pool or on the Truman balcony on Sunday afternoons.

"I mean, you can get busy and drift apart, I guess, in any circumstances," he said. "But for us, we worked hard before we got here, and we had a lot of things to do, and we've probably had more time together in our time here than at any point in our marriage. And I've enjoyed that immensely. It's been wonderful for us."

Clinton, barred by the US constitution from running for a third four-year term, said he loved the presidency and "I'd do it forever if I could."

He talked wistfully of how he would miss working in the Oval office, where "there's always light here, even when it's raining outside."

"I'll miss Camp David. I'll miss the Marine Band. I'll miss flying on Air Force One. I'll miss a lot of things," he said.

Looking at life as an ex-president, when he will be 54 years old, Clinton said he intended to write a book but did not know yet how he would otherwise earn a living.

He said he would use his public-policy centre, to be built along with his presidential library in Little Rock, Arkansas, as a place to support the peaceful resolution of racial, religious and ethnic conflicts and help poor people in America and around the world improve their lot.

"You know, I'll find something useful to do," he said. "Every stage of my life I've always enjoyed."